The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Internal combustion engines may be operable at a full cylinder operating mode and a cylinder deactivation operating mode. In such engines, a number of cylinders may be deactivated (non-firing) during low load conditions. For example, an eight cylinder engine may be operable using all eight cylinders during the full cylinder mode and may be operable using only four cylinders during the cylinder deactivation mode.
Operating the engine in the cylinder deactivation mode during low load conditions may reduce overall fuel consumption of the engine. However, in some cases, operation of the engine in the cylinder deactivation mode may lead to undesirable vehicle vibration. The magnitude of the vibration level is related to the torque of the engine (peak pressure of the cylinders). When a vibration frequency matches a natural frequency of a component, and the magnitude of the vibration is enough to initiate sympathetic vibration, the component may begin to vibrate.